


Marshmallow Fluff

by Wotwotleigh



Category: Calvin & Hobbes
Genre: Camping, Chocolate Box Exchange 2021, Fluff, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29257896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wotwotleigh/pseuds/Wotwotleigh
Summary: Just when it seemed like the latest rainy camping trip couldn't get any more miserable, Hobbes has turned up missing!
Relationships: Calvin & Calvin's Mother, Calvin & Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)
Comments: 61
Kudos: 67
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Marshmallow Fluff

**Author's Note:**

  * For [embraidery](https://archiveofourown.org/users/embraidery/gifts).



_The intrepid Spaceman Spiff crouches in his detainment cell, waiting for an opportunity to make his escape. He knows he won’t make it far in the boiling sulfuric acid rains of Planet Glorg. His only hope is to overcome one of the guards and commandeer their transport back to his own ship._

__

_Hearing movement outside the cell, our hero tenses. The cell portal opens to reveal—zounds, that’s no mere guard! It’s Supreme Empress Zilkar of the Glorgian High Council!_

_“You realize this is a humanoid rights violation under Intergalactic law, don’t you?” Spiff snarls through clenched teeth. If only the fiends hadn’t taken his stun blaster! “I hope your consort is prepared to answer for his crimes!”_

_Her High Repulsiveness opens her slavering jaws wide. Spiff braces himself, preparing for the worst. He doesn’t intend to go down her gullet without a fight . . ._

_“You and me both, kiddo,” she says._

Calvin relaxed a little as his mom ducked into the tent. She shrugged off her raincoat and stuffed it into a corner by the entrance. The cuffs of her pants were soaked, and rain dripped from her bangs and off the end of her nose. She scooted in beside Calvin, looking as miserable as he felt.

Even with the layers of sleeping bags and blankets beneath them, the floor was hard and lumpy. It was also starting to feel a little moist around the edges. 

“Any sign of Hobbes?” Calvin asked, allowing a smidgeon hope to creep into his voice. 

Mom had been looking more than a little homicidal—as she pretty much always did during a camping trip—but now her face softened sympathetically. “Not yet, buddy. Dad’s still out there looking for him.” 

She reached out and tried to smooth down Calvin’s hair. It always popped back up into a tousled, fluffy mess the second she pulled her hand away, but that never stopped her from trying. Right now, he didn’t mind. He leaned up against her, hugging his knees and glaring at the rain-spattered wall of the tent. 

“Stupid tiger,” he sniffed. “I bet he sneaked out when Dad went fishing this morning. I _told_ him you can’t find bluefin tuna in lakes, but he didn’t believe me.” 

Mom wrapped an arm around him and gave him a squeeze. “Listen, he can’t have gone far. He’ll turn up soon. Are you sure you didn’t have him on the hike yesterday?” 

“Yes, I’m sure!” groaned Calvin, exasperated. They’d been over this a million times already. “He wanted to stay in and read my comics, remember? Besides, he was there at dinner, and when I went to bed. What if he fell in the lake, Mom? What if he _drowned?_ ” 

“Honey, he’s a tiger. They’re great natural swimmers.” 

“Yeah, well, it’s freezing out there. He’s got to be cold. And hungry.” 

“Tigers are also very efficient hunters.” 

Calvin sighed moodily. Mom was always very sensible and level-headed about these things, but sometimes a guy just wanted someone to panic with. “I guess so,” he grumbled. 

“Hey, you know what might help?” she said. “Besides a hotel room and a proper cup of coffee, I mean . . .” 

“Infrared goggles?” Calvin suggested, perking up. 

“I was going to say snacks. But sure, that too, probably.” 

He'd noticed that Mom had a tendency to see things like nutrition and sleep and hygiene as the solutions to most of life’s problems. But he was too worried right now to complain about her lack of vision. And besides, a snack actually _did_ sound pretty good right about now. He waited quietly, his knees still drawn up to his chin, as she went off to root around in the snack bag. 

A moment later, he heard a gasp of surprise and delight. “Hobbes! What in the world—” 

Calvin was on his feet in an instant. “Hobbes!” he yelped, a wave of relief crashing over him. He scrambled over to Mom and snatched up the bedraggled, slightly sticky tiger that she’d just pulled out of the bag. “What the heck have you been _doing_ this whole time?” 

“Napping,” said Hobbes, yawning and stretching languidly in his arms. “Why? What’d I miss?” 

“Are you kidding?!” Calvin gave him an exasperated shake. “We’ve been searching the park for hours!” 

“Oh, for—” Mom cut in suddenly, holding up an empty plastic bag. “ _Someone_ ate the entire package of marshmallows!” 

“On reflection, probably not my best idea,” commented Hobbes. “They made a much better pillow than that box of graham crackers did, and now I’ve got a bit of a stomachache.” 

“It was this big idiot, Mom,” Calvin said, pointing accusingly at Hobbes. “He’s been napping and stuffing his face the whole time while we were going crazy trying to find him.” 

Mom looked like she was about to say something highly unfair, but settled on rolling her eyes instead. “Okay, Calvin, all right. I’m just glad he turned up. How does peanut butter and jelly sound?” 

Calvin grinned in spite of himself and squeezed Hobbes a little tighter, ignoring the tiger’s grumblings about rumpled fur. “Really good. Thanks, Mom.” Then he paused, remembering something. “But—isn’t Dad still out there looking? Shouldn’t you go let him know Hobbes is okay?” 

Mom got a sort of faraway look in her eye, then smiled. “Oh, I think he can wait a few more minutes while I make your sandwich. I’ve heard that hiking in the rain builds character.”


End file.
